3 weeks ago
Trump Gaza Board of Peace Awards First Construction Contract
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, made a special group called the Board of Peace to help Gaza after a big war.
The group just gave its very first job to a building company from Louisiana called Arkel International.
The job is to build a small military base to hold about 150 soldiers from the country of Morocco.
The base will be near the border between Gaza and Israel, in an area that the Israeli army controls.
The soldiers will come from a base in Israel to stay at this new outpost.
The company got the job, but the contract has not been officially signed yet.
This happened just days after Trump said a group called Hamas agreed to put down its guns.
Israel does not like the plan and has been carrying out more airstrikes on Gaza.
The original plan to rebuild all of Gaza got much smaller, and now it is just a small pilot project in the south.
At least 80 out of every 100 buildings in Gaza were damaged or destroyed in the war, so the people in charge are still deciding when the soldiers will arrive and what rules they will follow.
US President Donald Trump's Gaza Board of Peace has issued its first construction contract, awarding Louisiana-based firm Arkel International the job, according to The Guardian.
The project is a rudimentary 150-person military outpost of roughly 100 by 120 metres, intended to house Moroccan troops who would rotate from a base in Israel.
The outpost will be located in the 60 per cent of Gaza under direct Israeli military control, about a mile from the Israeli border, with a quick extraction route.
The contract has not been finalised; a Board official said several contract awards remain in final stages of preparation with the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
The award came days after Trump announced Hamas agreed to disarm, while Israel opposed the plan and ramped up airstrikes; the ISF's legal framework and deployment timeline remain unclear.
A UN resolution approved establishing an 'international stabilisation force' for Gaza, and Morocco has promised a small contingent to it.
- Who
- US President Donald Trump's Gaza Board of Peace, whose leadership includes Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, awarded the contract to Louisiana-based firm Arkel International; Moroccan troops are intended to staff the base.
- What
- The board issued its first construction contract to build a 150-person military outpost in southern Gaza to house Moroccan troops supporting an international stabilisation force.
- Where
- Southern Gaza, about a mile from the Israeli border, in the 60 per cent of the strip under direct Israeli army control.
- When
- The award came just days after Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to disarm; the contract has not yet been finalised.
- Why
- To support the international stabilisation force (ISF), to which Morocco has promised a small contingent, in implementing the roadmap's security and governance arrangements for Gaza.
Supporters of the Gaza board's plan
Opponents and sceptics of the plan
Hamas disarmament
Supporters of the Gaza board's plan
Trump announced days before the contract award that Hamas has agreed to disarm, moving the roadmap's security arrangements forward.
Opponents and sceptics of the plan
There are considerable questions about how Hamas would give up its guns, and Israel opposed the plan and ramped up airstrikes on Gaza after the announcement.
US role and the scale of reconstruction
Supporters of the Gaza board's plan
In February 2025 Trump announced the United States would 'take over' and 'own' Gaza, and at the board's first meeting Kushner unveiled a 'master plan' for a waterfront 'New Gaza' city.
Opponents and sceptics of the plan
The agreement that set up the Board of Peace fell short of a US takeover, and the original reconstruction plan shrunk to a small pilot project in the south of the strip.
International Stabilisation Force
Supporters of the Gaza board's plan
A UN resolution approved establishing an international stabilisation force for Gaza, and Morocco has promised a small contingent to support security and governance arrangements.
Opponents and sceptics of the plan
The legal framework for the ISF has yet to be finalised, it is not clear when the deployment would begin, and there have been varying reports on which country would provide the troops.
Key facts
- Governing body
- Gaza Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump
- Contract awardee
- Arkel International, a Louisiana-based firm
- Project
- Rudimentary 150-person military outpost to house Moroccan troops
- Base size
- Roughly 100 metres by 120 metres
- Location
- About a mile from the Israeli border, in the 60% of Gaza under Israeli army control
- Contract status
- Awarded but not yet finalised
- International Stabilisation Force
- Approved by a UN resolution; legal framework not finalised and deployment timing unclear
- War damage in Gaza
- At least 80% of buildings damaged or destroyed in the war
Quotes
Anonymous official associated with the Gaza Board of Peace
An unnamed Board of Peace staff member
“One prospective contract concerns facilities to support the international stabilisation force (ISF), which will assist in implementing the roadmap’s security and governance arrangements. This contract will be one of many that are essential for the future of Gaza.”
firstpost.com
“The base was about a mile from the Israeli border and would have a quick extraction route in case the small force came under attack.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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